Dog’s Movie House: “Kung Fu Panda 4” A Worthy Addition To The Franchise!

“Kung Fu Panda 4” finds Po confortably settled into his role as the Dragon Warrior, protector of the Valley Of Peace. He likes it so much, in fact, that when Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) tells him it’s time to pick a successor so that Po can become the new Wisdom Leader, Po balks at the idea. While all of this is happening, a new villain emerges in the shapeshifting sorceress Chameleon (Viola Davis) a lizard who plans to steal the Kung Fu powers of all of Po’s previous enemies to gain unimaginable power. With the help of Zhen (Awkwafina), a cunning fox who also happens to be a master thief, the two set out to stop the Chameleon before she can enact her dastardly plan. Kung Fu and magical hi-jinks ensue.

“Kung Fu Panda 4” has quite a bit on it’s plate from a narrative standpoint. Not only is there the central conflict involving the Chameleon, but there’s also the succession story, as well as the character arc of Po’s two fathers: his adoptive father Ping (the great James Hong) and his biological father Li (Bryan Cranston) who go on a mission of their own to help Po. Missing from the story are the Furious Five, but that allows other characters to get plenty of screen time.

As always, the animation and character design in “Kung Fu Panda 4” is wonderful, with Davis’ Chameleon being the standout. Her wide set eyes and creepy grin make her a formidable-looking villain. The fight sequences are all very well done: very kinetic but easy to follow and are choreographed in the grand tradition of classic live action martial arts films (with a little Looney Tunes thrown in for good measure.) It was also nice to see the return of Tai Lung (Ian McShane) the ferocious snow leopard who served as the first movie’s villain.

The voice work is first rate, with Black again acing the role of Po. The panda is at a different point in his life, so there is less bumbling humor, but his good nature leads him into some crazy situations, especially with Zhen leading the way. Awkafina continues who excellent string of animated voice work as Zhen and her chemstry with Black is one of the film’s highlights. Davis is having a ball as the villain, and Hoffman is his usual reliable self as the gruff but compassionate Shifu. Cranston and Hong are a hoot as Po’s parents and Ke Huy Quan continues his renaissance as Han, a pangolin who’s the leader of the the underworld in Juniper City, the largest city in the land.

The only issue is that “Kung Fu Panda 4” doesn’t have a great deal of emotional weight behind it and it sometimes feels almost transparent (I know that sounds weird, but that’s the only way I can describe it.) That said, “Kung Fu Panda 4” is an enjoyable romp for the most part and will be fun for the entire family! 4 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

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